rs or more of
rather futile "ranching," he sold most of his stock to his men, who
promptly departed with it, and proceeded to locate a claim a few miles
distant. The incident amused him as illustrating the dignity of labor,
and kindred philosophical theories which the present age seems invented
to establish.

One horse, a couple of cows, and his six collie dogs of assorted ages
and sizes, he still retained, and with their assistance he was rapidly
making away with the few hundreds accruing from the sale of his stock
and farming implements. He had placed the money in the bank at Cameron
City, a small railroad-station in a hollow five miles north of him, and
it was when his eyes fell upon the rapidly diminishing monthly balance
that he thought he saw coming that unpleasant alternative of which
mention has been made.

He found no little entertainment, after the departure of his men, in
converting their late sleeping-apartment into what he was pleased to
call a "museum." To this end nothing further was necessary, after
removing all traces of their late occupancy, than that two old
sole-leather trunks should render up their contents, consisting of
half-forgotten souvenirs of travel. The change was magic. Unmounted
photographs appeared upon the wall, an ivory Faust and Gretchen from
Nuremberg stood, self-centred and unobservant, upon the chimney-shelf
among trophies from Turkey, and Japan, Spain, and Norway. A gorgeous
_kimono_ served as curtain at the south window, a Persian altar-cloth at
the west; and through the west window, the great Peak gazed with stolid
indifference upon all that splendor, while the generous Colorado
sunshine poured itself in at the south in unstinted measure, just as
lavishly as if its one mission had been to illuminate the already
gorgeous display.

And then, when all was done, Stanwood found to his surprise, that he
still liked best to sit at his cabin-door, and watch the play of light
on peak and prairie.

Late one afternoon, as he sat in the doorway, at peace with himself, and
in agreeable harmony with the world as he beheld it, his eye was caught
by an indistinguishable object moving across the plain from the
direction of Cameron City. He regarded it as he might have regarded the
progress of a coyote or prairie-dog, till it stopped at his own gate,
half a mile to the northward. A vague feeling of dissatisfaction came
over him at the sight, but he did not disturb himself, nor make any
remar